SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 19 (Our California Times) — What UC is reconsidering
University of California leaders are again weighing whether SAT and ACT scores should be part of undergraduate admissions. If the Board of Regents approves a testing rule, UC says the earliest it could take effect would be the fall 2028 application cycle.
How the decision works
UC uses a shared-governance process for admissions changes. Faculty on the Academic Senate review the issue first, and the Board of Regents has the final say.
UC has set up two faculty-led work groups. One is studying whether UC should require the SAT, the ACT or California’s Smarter Balanced test. The other is reviewing the high school course requirements known as A-G, the classes students must take to be eligible for UC admission.
UC Academic Senate Chair Ahmet Palazoglu said the Senate is still committed to a broad review of standardized testing in admissions.
Why the debate returned
The system already removed SAT and ACT requirements in a unanimous 2020 Regents vote. A later lawsuit settlement and court order also kept UC from considering those scores in admissions through spring 2025, according to summaries of the case.
Faculty pressure helped bring the topic back. More than 1,400 STEM faculty signed one open letter, and another set of open letters drew more than 3,000 signatures asking UC to reconsider standardized testing. Supporters say test scores can give admissions officers another data point about readiness in math and writing.
The UC Student Association has opposed bringing the tests back, saying it would not improve student preparedness.
What is known, and what is not
At the July Regents meeting, Regents Chair Maria Anguiano, an appointed board leader, said, “We anticipate a recommendation from the Academic Senate no later than the end of this academic year.” UC officials now say they expect a recommendation around June 2027.
What UC has not said yet is just as important. The system has not said whether a future rule would use the SAT, the ACT, Smarter Balanced or some other measure. It also has not said whether any change would apply to every applicant or only to some groups.
For California high school juniors and seniors, along with counselors and families, the practical effect would be one more admissions step to prepare for. For now, though, UC is still in the review stage, and no final vote has been taken.
